James Bovill

James Bovill
Personal information
Full name
James Noel Bruce Bovill
Born (1971-06-02) 2 June 1971 (age 53)
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1990–1993Buckinghamshire
1993–1997Hampshire
1998–1999Buckinghamshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class List A
Matches 38 26
Runs scored 324 34
Batting average 9.81 5.66
100s/50s –/– –/–
Top score 31 14*
Balls bowled 5,717 1,134
Wickets 104 27
Bowling average 32.53 33.81
5 wickets in innings 4 –
10 wickets in match 1 –
Best bowling 6/29 4/44
Catches/stumpings 7/– 3/–
Source: Cricinfo, 8 December 2009

James Noel Bruce Bovill (born 2 June 1971) is an English former cricketer who played first-class cricket predominantly for Hampshire from 1993 to 1997.

Bovill was born at High Wycombe in June 1971. He was educated at Charterhouse School,[1] before matriculating to Durham University.[2] Playing his early club cricketer for Marlow, Bovill played minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire in the Minor Counties Championship between 1990 and 1993.[3] While studying at Durham, he was chosen to represent the Combined Universities cricket team in 1992 Benson & Hedges Cup, making his debut in List A one-day cricket against Worcestershire. He made four appearances for the Combined Services in that seasons competition.[4] Bovill was signed by Hampshire while still a student at Durham,[2] making two one-day appearances for Hampshire in the 1993 Axa Equity & Law League,[4] in addition to making his debut in first-class cricket against Essex in the County Championship at Chelmsford.[5] In 1994, he made his final two appearances for the Combined Universities. The first at Oxford came against Lancashire in the preliminary round of the Benson & Hedges Cup.[4] The second at Fenner's was a first-class match against the touring New Zealanders,[5] in which Bovill notably took the first three New Zealander wickets to reduce the tourists to 62 for 3.[6]

During the 1994 season, he made five first-class appearances for Hampshire,[5] alongside four one-day appearances Axa Equity & Law League.[4] He took his maiden first-class five wicket haul during the season,[7] with 5 for 108 against Leicestershire in the County Championship.[8] In 1995, he took 30 first-class wickets at an average of 27.13;[7] against Durham, he took his career best figures of 6 for 29, having also taken 6 for 39 in the Durham first innings, for match figures of 12 for 68.[9] His returns improved the following season, with 34 first-class wickets, though at a higher average of 35.26.[7] Prior to the 1997 season, Bovill helped to coach the Argentina national cricket team head of their participation in the 1997 ICC Trophy, alongside Hampshire teammate William Kendall.[10] During the 1997 season, he made nine first-class and four one-day appearances in the Axa Life League,[5][4] but dropped out of the team following an injury midway through the season.[11] Bovill retired from professional cricket after the 1997 season, having suffered from a persistent back injury.[12] In 37 first-class matches for Hampshire, he took 99 wickets at an average of 33.11; he took four five wicket hauls, with his 12 wickets against Durham in 1995 the only time he took ten-wickets in a match.[13]

In 1998, he played at minor counties level, returning to his home county Buckinghamshire.[12] Bovill played minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire in 1998 and 2000, making nine appearances in the Minor Counties Championship and ten appearances in the MCCA Knockout Trophy.[3][14] Alongside his minor counties appearances, Bovill also made three List A one-day appearances for Buckinghamshire: one in the 1998 NatWest Trophy against Surrey, and two in the 1999 NatWest Trophy against the Yorkshire Cricket Board and Warwickshire.[4]

References

  1. ^ "New OC Club President". www.charterhouse.org.uk. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Culley, Jon (26 April 1994). "Cricket: Crawley turns his bat on old friends". The Independent. London. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by James Bovill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "List A Matches played by James Bovill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "First-Class Matches played by James Bovill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Cricket". Cambridge Daily News. 22 June 1994. p. 56. Retrieved 21 July 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ a b c "First-Class Bowling in Each Season by James Bovill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Leicestershire v Hampshire, Britannic Assurance County Championship 1994". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  9. ^ Engel, Matthew (1996). Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (134 ed.). Guildford: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. p. 423. ISBN 0947766383.
  10. ^ "Coaching trip". Birmingham Mail. 19 February 1997. p. 52. Retrieved 21 July 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "A–Z (B16)". www.hampshirecrickethistory.wordpress.com. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  12. ^ a b "MCC Trophy match". Buckinghamshire Advertiser. Chalfont St Peter. 6 May 1998. p. 62. Retrieved 21 July 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "First-Class Bowling For Each Team by James Bovill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Minor Counties Trophy Matches played by James Bovill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 July 2024.